xep80 support

could we create a list here of software which could be used with the xep80 card? I understand that there is a native driver for SpartaDosX. Which other software can be used with the XEP and which in particular in combination with spartados x?

There should be a list of XEP80 supporting software in the FAQ-list Michael Current put together. (Charlie Chaplin might have composed that part, among other things) You should be able to find it via Google.

mhm. I just found my XEP80 and I gonna test what's running with SDX and what not. However, the two screen support is an amazing option. It seems that the xep80 is a bit unused, though the device was not very rare.

\twh

Hello TWH

There should be a list of XEP80 supporting software in the FAQ-list Michael Current put together. (Charlie Chaplin might have composed that part, among other things) You should be able to find it via Google.

Will you be adding it? I only ask because your software solution is faster than the XEP80. As much as I like seeing the old hardware get supported, I'm not sure this one would be worth the time. I used my XEP80 twice, and it promptly went back in its box to avoid dust & yellowing. No offense intended for the XEP lovers out there

Will you be adding it? I only ask because your software solution is faster than the XEP80. As much as I like seeing the old hardware get supported, I'm not sure this one would be worth the time. I used my XEP80 twice, and it promptly went back in its box to avoid dust & yellowing. No offense intended for the XEP lovers out there

You've more or less explained my stance on the matter perfectly. I had intended to support XEP80 at around the time I decided on the software solution. Thereafter, it went by the wayside and I doubt I'll bother to add it now, especially since VBXE is now a better way of obtaining a true 80 column display and the modifications to LW to take advantage of that will be fairly minimal.

I don't own an XEP80, so I can't comment on how good it is. I've only used it under emulation: the lack of real hardware is another reason I'm disinclined to develop for it.

Firstly, it should zoom under emulation. Thanks for posting the ATR, I'll try it out tonight.

Secondly, as for the real hardware, Mathy has performed a lot of experimental hacking on this device, and stated that, it is actually fast, if used appropriately. He stated that that the device got a bad reputation because the BASIC example programs THEMSELVES were dog-slow. Here's his notes:

& the enhanced BobTerm XEP80 driver. DESCRIPTION: "Erhard's fixed version, which will now keep up with a speed of 9600 baud, instead of the 4800 baud that used to be the maximum. There is still some (bogus) data send to the unused joystick port and the 40 column screen isn't switched off. Meaning that if we could switch off the 40 column display (user choice), data could be sent to the XEP80 even faster. This version is fixed to 50 Hz. Maybe somebody could add a little routine that looks at $D014 (PAL) to determine which frequency should be used."

Since xep80 emulation is now a standard feature in atari800, everyone that has the emulator has the xep80 , as another tool, at their disposal. The actual hardware is still available for somewhere around $70.00.

If there was to be support the xep80, in Last Word, it appears that Mathy is the guy to talk to for implementation tricks & tips.

I understand it was pretty fast if programmed properly. As for emulation, Atari800MacX also supports it properly now.

As for support in The Last Word, I'm always open to requests. VBXE is probably top of the list since LW is the obvious candidate to be the first full-blown productivity app for the new hardware. I'm quite happy to consider supporting other hardware add-ons (like XEP80) if there's sufficient demand and if the end result is going to justify the effort in terms of useability.

The real problem is, of course, lack of time. I had a day off today and I spent most of it finishing a website for a local electrician. The rest I spent worrying about my mysteriously damaged ebay purchase...

You too? I got so screwed on a 24 channel mixing console... I got it while I was doing a major renovation to my datacenter/studio & everything was apart (giant snakepit). I power-tested it when I got it, power came on, LED meters jumped... I figured, OK, good, since the auction said, "Tested, working."...

Then, nearly 3 months later, my studio is completely renovated, totally NASAed-out, and guess what, the mixer doesn't pass signals!!! Dude closed his ebay account, too. gone. I got majorly beat, & it was the central piece of equipment that I needed, and I'm not too wealthy... (of course... catastrophic point of failure, figures...). It is a VERY bad thing. It really is an awful thing to do to someone... I completely empathize, and maybe, if we all wish hard enough together, people who sell broken goods can be damned to stub cold toes 20 times a day, everyday, for the rest of their lives. lol-kinda.

Here is Atari's original XEP-80 system diskette. I've also posted the files from inside the disk image (including documentation and source code for the XEP-80 handler) in a seperate archive in case anyone needs to look at them directly.